Weekend Update 11/18/12

[w neal]

You're talking about the revenue train shot out of focus?

My apologies sir. No helicon focus here.

[davefoxx]

Looks good, Dave!
Easy on the green!
And NBWs...  NBWs...  NBWs...!!!

This will be such a groovy scene, kick it up a notch with NBWs!

Thanks, M.C..  The green is only my base scenery.  I plan to add a lot of trees and will also have a close encounter of the kudzu kind.  And, remember, North Carolina is much more lush than southern California, so there should be a bit of green.  At some point, I will invest in a static flock device (or build one), but, for now, I just threw down some fine foam to make the pictures a little more appealing to the eye.

Hopefully, you will like my choice of fascia color.  Historically, I have used the soil color of the area that I am modeling.  However, the soil color in the sandhills of North Carolina seemed way too light for a fascia color.  My wife and I chose this color:



After installing the fascia, I countersank all of the screw holes and patched them and the seams at the corners.  One coat of primer and two top coats have been applied.  I plan to apply one final coat after all of the scenery mess is finished.  This color is growing on me.

Please pardon the blurry cell phone picture.  I was in a real hurry this morning to get out the door and didn't have time to get out the camera.

As for the NBWs, I honestly tried to use the ones in the trestle kit, but they were close to scale and so small that they were practically invisible on the trestle and not worth the significant effort it takes to install them.  Granted, your oversize NBWs do stand out, but I don't have any of those in my possession.  So, I have omitted them for now.  If I come across a pack, I'll add them later.  Thanks, again.

DFF

[Philip H]

Dave,
Letting your wife pick fascia colors with you seems to have worked!

[davefoxx]

Dave,
Letting your wife pick fascia colors with you seems to have worked!

Thanks!  And, hey, I'm no fool, but I am colorblind.  But, this also allows me to try to include her in this hobby, so that she'll continue to tolerate it... and me.   

[Puddington]

I finally got around to "aging" one of Bryan's outstanding CPR cars..... three more to go...

[cv_acr]

Mark, what's with the post-1988 no multimark SD40? She looks a little out of place(time) there.

[Puddington]

Well; sometimes you get the bear....



.. and sometimes....poop !

Good Grief !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mark dance]

Mark, what's with the post-1988 no multimark SD40? She looks a little out of place(time) there.

Good catch...I picked up 3 "cheap" used Kato SD40's a few years ago.  They have been hand painted by the previous owner but the weathering certainly improves their appearance.  I relegate them to the Nelson sub runs - which I operate during sessions - between East staging and Nelson yard and I have been gradually replacing them with FM units or more prototypical GM ones as I add more locos.

md

[Puddington]

Good catch...I picked up 3 "cheap" used Kato SD40's a few years ago.  They have been hand painted by the previous owner but the weathering certainly improves their appearance.  I relegate them to the Nelson sub runs - which I operate during sessions - between East staging and Nelson yard and I have been gradually replacing them with FM units or more prototypical GM ones as I add more locos.

md

Say the word and I'll post you out Multi marks... I got a ton of em.....

[cv_acr]

He'll need stripe decals to repaint the end as well. With the multimark, the end striping is black and white. After the multimark was dropped, the striping was red and white.

[Puddington]

He'll need stripe decals to repaint the end as well. With the multimark, the end striping is black and white. After the multimark was dropped, the striping was red and white.

Yep; forgot... easy fix and I've got a ton o them too...(got a few going out of business sales and scooped the Microscale stuff... I could re-paint the real CPR fleet with my inventory I think...hehehehe - kidding.

[mark dance]

While I sincerely appreciate the offers,  my more likely route is to just further demote the unit...or to live with it.  If I were to remove all the foobies I run, I would never get around to what I really want to do.

I recognize my emphasis is on reliable and enjoyable operations and overall layout effect, rather than modeling fidelity (gasp), and I have a ton of this stuff to get through prior to Vanrail 2013 in September.  This includes finishing weathering all the equipment which I hope to do by New Year's.

(I wonder if I will banished from RW for that comment!  I note the tagline is a "forum for modelers" rather than a "forum for model railroaders" .  I think I am firmly in the latter camp )

md

[BCR751]

Mark,

What and when is Vanrail 2013?  Is it supposed to replace the potentially defunct TRAINS?

Doug

[PGE_Modeller]

Mark,

What and when is Vanrail 2013?  Is it supposed to replace the potentially defunct TRAINS?

Doug

Doug,

VanRail is the bi-annual operations weekend in September that is organized by Scott Calvert.  It has been running since about 2007 and is patterned after Bay Rails from the San Francisco Bay area.  Typically runs Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday with small groups attending each layout for a 3 - 4 hour period.  Many of the Vancouver area layouts that take part operate under Timetable & Train Orders.   To the best of my knowledge, Mark and Steve Stark have the only two N scale layouts that have been part of previous VanRail weekends.   

Cheers,

[mark dance]

And just to add a bit more bgnd to what Greg has explained, VanRail is an invitational event and, while most invitees are OpSig members, it is not an OpSig sponsored event.  Invitations come from Brian Pate (Hon3 Klondike Mines Rwy) or Scott Calvert (HO Boundary Sub) who are the "VanRail founders" I believe.

Here are some shots of the C&W from VanRail 2011 http://flic.kr/s/aHsjw1c7Fx  .  It was a lot of work and a lot of fun.

md